


What Rules The World

by TheGeekyLibrarian



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-23
Updated: 2013-05-23
Packaged: 2017-12-12 17:10:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/813981
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheGeekyLibrarian/pseuds/TheGeekyLibrarian
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Modern AU, the older Lannisters as the ultimate power couple"</p>
<p>...In which the ultimate power couple discuss their kids</p>
            </blockquote>





	What Rules The World

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the asoiafkinkmeme, original prompt by housecreepy.

“What in heaven’s name am I going to do with him, Joanna?”

 

Joanna Lannister smiled at her husband’s exasperated expression. She knew she was one of few people to see him display it, and although she knew it was a little cruel, she couldn’t help but be amused. 

Her husband rubbed his face in his hands and looked at her across the desk. 

“What are you laughing at?”

 

“I’m not laughing…” Joanna countered, but the corners of her mouth quirked dangerously upwards, and the smirk that appeared on her face as a result told her husband differently. 

Tywin snorted in response, absentmindedly picking up a pen, only to throw it down on the desk in front of him, before leaning back in his chair, crossing one leg over the other.

“It’s not funny, Jo… He’s a grown man, he needs to start acting his age.”

“And how would you suggest he do that?” Her voice sounded lazy, a drawl even to her own ears. But the topic of discussion was nothing new, and in truth all their discussions about Tyrion were a familiar circle at this point. 

“He’s not going to instantaneously turn into your model son, Tywin. You have to give him a reason to…” She let her voice trail off, and looked across the desk to see her husband’s reaction. 

“What do you mean give him a reason…? As if I haven’t given him plenty!”

Her husband looked at her, the yellow flecks in his eyes ablaze, indignation chiseled into his every feature, as if the mere suggestion that he hadn’t treated his youngest son as he should have, was enough to cause grievous damage to his pride. 

It was. 

Nobody knew that better than his wife, and, not for the first time, she intended to tell him so. 

“Like what? That branch manager position you supposedly gave him out of the goodness of your heart? Please…”

She rolled her eyes at him, and in return her husband sighed, and spread his arms wide in a gesture that suggested she was causing a storm in a glass of water.

“Honestly Jo, I don’t know why you’re making a big deal out of this. Branch manager is an important enough position, this is…”

“Bullshit. And you know it, I know it, and Tyrion knows it.” She finished for him, and saw, to her satisfaction, that his eyes narrowed in response.

“What do you want from me, Joanna?!? I can’t make him an executive just because he’s my son!”

Now it was Joanna’s turn to snort with indignation. She straightened suddenly, and leaned forwards in her chair, her eyes fixed on her husband. 

“Why not? If it had been Jaime… If Jaime had walked in here right now and told you he wanted a job, you would have put him on the board before I could snap my fingers!” Her voice has grown loud and defiant. If he wants an argument, she’s going to give him one, make no mistake. 

“Tyrion is not Jaime!” Her husband retorts furiously, his voice increasing in volume too.

“Damn right… Tyrion has got more of a head for business now than Jaime will ever have.” Joanna starts off in the same defiant voice, but then she stops herself, and pauses for a moment before continuing, and her voice drops into her normal, calm pitch again when she says; 

“You have to stop this…stop pretending that Jaime is going to come home and take his rightful place as your heir. He chose the army, and he’s happy there…it’s what he’s good at. You need to open your eyes and realize that Tyrion and Cersei are the ones who are desperate to continue your work, and they’re both clamoring to please you…”

She paused for breath, and eyed her husband to see if her words had any effect. He wasn’t looking at her, instead his eyes had drifted to rest on the last fading rays of sun visible through the glass door that led out to the garden. His shoulders were far more relaxed than usual, and he was almost slouching in his chair. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, Joanna cut him off, but in the same gentle voice. 

“Why do you think Cersei married Robert Baratheon? Because you said that a marriage between the families would be a good way to annex Baratheon Corp…”

She let her voice trail off for a moment, before asking quietly;

“Did you know he’s violent with her? She hasn’t said anything, but I’ve seen the bruises…” 

There came an audible sigh from the chair on the opposite side of the desk at the question. 

“I suspected…” Tywin replied, his voice weary.

“Have you seen what he’s done to her? My darling girl…my sweet baby… Do you see what she’s willing to put herself through for you, in the hope that you’ll recognize it one day?” 

There was a note of pleading in her voice, and although he would never admit it, it broke his heart a little to hear. But he didn’t answer her. After all, what could he really say? He had never considered that Cersei was making a sacrifice by marrying Robert Baratheon, he had merely assumed that his daughter saw the same benefits to the union as he did. 

After a few moments of silence, he asked again.

“What are we going to do about all this, Jo…?”

“We?” She smiled wryly. 

He shot her a defiant look, but there was resignation in his voice when he spoke again. 

“Fine, what am I going to do about all this?”

“First of all, you should give Tyrion something better to do…”

“I told you, if I give him a top job he’s going to fuck it up.”

“I’m counting on it.” Joanna said evenly. 

He raised an eyebrow at his wife, who was once again leaning back in her chair, legs crossed, and a secretive little smile on her face. 

“I thought you said…”

“I said you needed to give him a reason to make an effort, not that he would instantaneously be a perfect replacement for you.” Joanna explained. 

“He’s a clever boy, and he knows that, but he’s not as clever as he thinks… and he won’t learn from his mistakes until he realizes that he’ll be held accountable for the consequences. Give him something important to do, and allow him to fail, and he’ll learn…” She continued matter-of-factly, as if this was the most logical thing in the world.

Tywin opened his mouth to argue, but paused before he had uttered a word. His wife made sense, which for some reason always caught him a little off guard, although the occurrence was far from unusual. And, he begrudgingly admitted to himself, she was probably right about Jaime too… His oldest son had carefully avoided any affiliation with the family business, preferring instead to be shipped off to war in foreign countries. In the end, he caught his wife’s glance and nodded in understanding. 

What was he going to do about Tyrion though? Calculating, clever, quick-witted but equally loud-mouthed Tyrion, more willing to spend money than earn them… Despite his faults the boy had been the apple of his mother’s eye since the day he was born, despite, or perhaps because he had almost claimed her life in the delivery.

The day his youngest son was born had been the worst day in Tywin Lannister’s life. He remembered vividly the despair that had clung to every inch of him while he sat by his wife’s bedside, praying to any god that would listen, swearing on his own life to do anything, anything, if only they would spare her. And he remembered the wave of relief that had washed over him when Joanna had regained consciousness, how she had smiled at him then, an exhausted but happy smile, and how she had run her fingers through his hair, reassuring him again and again that she wasn’t going anywhere. 

He suddenly feels a familiar sensation, and snaps out of his reverie to see that his wife has reached across the desktop with one hand to knot her fingers gently into his. A reassuring smile met him when he looked up at her, and they remained like that for a while, in comfortable silence. 

“I’ll take care of Robert Baratheon.” He says finally, in a voice that leaves no doubt. He doesn’t say anything about Tyrion, but he can tell from the way she looks at him and nods, that Joanna knows he’ll yield to her in that too.


End file.
